Movie Diary 7/9/2009

Sous les toits de Paris (Rene Clair, 1930). Totally clever silent-era-to-sound-era transitional movie, but all the transitional stuff (music covering intense pantomimed dialogue scenes) is ingenious, not creaky. Also a great studio-built Paris tenement block, with some amazing interiors of bistros, apartments, etc. This and Clair’s next one, A nous la liberte, prove that some people were ready to hit the ground running when sound came in.